RB Jordon James and his mohawk set for primetime for UCLA football team

Jordon James has been buried in the UCLA running back rotation all season.

Then there's his hair, a shocking gold mohawk that the redshirt sophomore somehow buries beneath his gold helmet every week. James said it's earned him the nickname "Blade," la the vampire-slaying comic book hero, from coaches.

"Everybody's telling me if I cut it," he said Tuesday, "they wouldn't know who I was."

James has still enjoyed a fair amount of anonymity this season - he hasn't touched the ball more than 10 times in a game - though that could change Saturday against Stanford.

When the season began, James was behind Johnathan Franklin, Malcolm Jones and Damien Thigpen on the depth chart. Jones has since transferred and Thigpen tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Saturday against USC, leaving James in line for plenty of looks against the Cardinal.

Relative to that of most of his teammates, it's a big week of practice for James.

"I'm not really doing anything different," he said, "just trying to practice hard, learn the defense, get ready for Saturday."

That's not entirely true. James was involved in kickoff-return drills Tuesday as the Bruins seek to replace Thigpen's 26.9 yards- per-return average, best on the team and second in the Pac-12 only to USC's Marqise Lee.

James, who has returned just one kickoff this year, hasn't been told if he will be the primary kickoff return man Saturday. But for now he's in the rotation. James said he won't reprise the slotback role he tried during spring practices.

With his close-up about to commence, he won't dare cut his hair.

"Actually," he said, the sun shining on his tall gold 'hawk, "I just cut it after the game on Saturday."